Nearly all passenger vehicles include some type of cargo compartment or cargo receiving area to make the transportation of cargo safe and convenient. However, because the cargo areas of many vehicles are integrated with the passenger compartment, such as in vans, mini-vans, and sport/utility vehicles, cargo placed in the cargo receiving area is free to shift during transport thereby damaging the cargo, the vehicle, or even the passenger in the event of a vehicular collision. For example, it is well known that loose objects located in the rear of the vehicle become missile-like projectiles whenever the carrier vehicle is involved in a front end collision. For this reason, it is important that all loose articles in the vehicle be restrained to prevent damage to the cargo itself, the vehicle, or the occupants of the vehicle.
Another problem inherent with transporting cargo is that semi-rigid cargo items, such as groceries contained in a typical plastic or paper sack, are not entirely stable within the vehicular cargo area and often times the contents are spilled as the vehicle turns a corner or makes sudden starts and stops. When this occurs, contents in the grocery bag, such as eggs, milk and flour, and the like, are frequently broken open and spilled within the cargo receiving area.
To alleviate this latter problem, the prior art has taught to form a vehicular cargo tray assembly made of molded plastic for disposition in the vehicular cargo receiving area. Hence, according to the prior art, semi-rigid cargo items such as grocery sacks filled with groceries are received in the vehicular cargo tray. In the event the contents of the grocery sack spill into the cargo tray, the spillage is easily cleaned up by removing the cargo tray from the vehicle and rinsing it out.
One such prior art vehicular cargo tray assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,375 to Wright, issued May 8, 1992, and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. The Wright vehicular cargo tray assembly includes a plurality of selectively moveable dividers for dividing the cargo receiving area of the tray assembly. The dividers comprise panel-like members slideable vertically into the valleys formed between adjacent corrugations in the side walls of the tray and thereby providing a rigid divider structure. The primary deficiency of the tray dividers shown in the Wright device arise when the vehicle is involved in a front end collision. As described above, loose objects contained in the vehicle during a vehicular collision typically become projectiles propelled through the passenger compartment by momentum capable of striking and injuring passengers in the automobile. Thus, because the panel-like dividers of Wright are freely slideable out of the tray, the dividers are capable of being dislodged from the tray upon collision and hurled forwardly through the passenger compartment.